(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and, more particularly, to a liquid crystal display which bears wide viewing angle.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display has two substrates with a plurality of electrodes, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the two substrates, and two polarizing plates externally attached to the substrates. Voltages are applied to the electrodes so that the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are re-oriented to thereby control the light transmission.
One of the substrates is formed with thin film transistors for switching the voltages applied to the electrodes, and a plurality of gate and data lines proceeding in the row and column directions. The data lines cross over the gate lines while defining pixel regions. A pixel electrode is formed at each pixel region. The thin film transistors receive scanning signals from the gate lines, and picture signals from the data lines. The thin film transistors control the picture signals pursuant to the scanning signals, and transmit the controlled picture signals to the pixel electrodes. The other substrate is formed with color filters corresponding to the pixel electrodes, and a common electrode at its entire surface.
In a vertically aligned (VA) mode liquid crystal display, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules are arranged vertical to the substrates without application of an electric field, and under the application of voltages, inclined such that they are disposed to be parallel to the substrates. The liquid crystal molecules where the long axes thereof are oriented vertical to the substrates cannot rotate the polarizing direction of the light, whereas the liquid crystal molecules where the long axes thereof are oriented parallel to the substrates can rotate the polarizing direction of the light, assuming that the polarizing axes of the polarizing plates are arranged vertical to each other. When the liquid crystal molecules are oriented vertical to the substrates, the light does not pass the polarizing plates so that the display screen becomes to be in a dark state. When the liquid crystal molecules are inclined under the application of voltages, a predetermined amount of light passes the polarizing plates so that the display screen becomes to be in a bright state.
In such a VA mode liquid crystal display, it has been proposed that opening patterns or organic material-based protrusions might be formed at the electrodes while forming multiple pixel domains. With the formation of the multiple pixel domains, the liquid crystal molecules are uniformly inclined in four directions, thereby obtaining wide viewing angle.
Meanwhile, such a protrusion may be used as a spacer. The height of the protrusion suitable for the domain partitioning may be established to be about 1.2 μm, but that suitable for the spacer use should be established to be about 4.0 μm. Accordingly, in order to directly use the domain partitioning protrusion as the spacer, the height of the protrusion would be established to be about 4.0 μm. However, in this case, it becomes difficult to inject the liquid crystal material in-between the substrates due to the barrier of the protrusion.